1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a duplex printing apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a duplex printing apparatus which provides convenient access for eliminating paper jams with greater ease.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a printing apparatus such as a laser printer or a photocopier, has a duplex printing function which returns a sheet of paper back to an image forming part to print information on both sides of the paper, respectively. An example of such a conventional apparatus is shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, a configuration and printing process of a conventional duplex printing apparatus is shown, and is described in greater detail below.
A one sided printing process can be illustrated by referring to a conveyance path A in FIG. 1, wherein a paper 15 is picked up from a paper feeding cassette 11 by rotating a pick up roller 17 or is drawn from a paper feeding board through a paper feeding roller 19, and is moved to an image forming part 20 with an end portion of the paper 15 in line while passing a register roller 18. The paper 15 is formed with an image while passing through the image forming part 20, and the image is fixed in a fixing part 30 by passing the paper 15 between a heating roller 31 and a pressure roller 33. The paper 15 is discharged from the fixing part 30 by a discharging roller 35 and an idle roller 37, and is then output to the outside of a main body housing 1 by contacting an upper surface of a flapper 40 along the conveyance path A.
In contrast, a duplex printing process can be illustrated by referring to a conveyance path B in FIG. 1, wherein the paper 15, formed with an image on one side thereof by passing once through the image forming part 20 and the fixing part 30, is conveyed to a duplex printing part 50 by contacting a lower surface of the flapper 40 which is lifted by a solenoid (not shown) disposed inside the main body housing 1. The paper 15 transferred to the duplex printing part 50 is moved again to the image forming part 20 by being reversed through reversing rollers 52 and 54. Here, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of feeding rollers are disposed to convey the paper 15 smoothly along the conveyance paths.
In the case where a jam occurs while the paper 15 is passing through the fixing part 30, the conventional duplex printing apparatus has a significant problem in that it becomes difficult to access and eliminate the paper of the paper jam because the paper is hidden by the flapper 40 provided in the main body 1, or is hidden by the discharging roller 35 combined with the fixing part 30.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method to provide a duplex printing apparatus which provides convenient access for eliminating paper jams with greater ease.